Thill-coupling



(No Model.)

D. THOMPSON.

THI'LL GQUPLING. v No. 347,842. Patented Aug. 24, 1886.

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UNITED STATES 'ATENT Fries.

DAVID THOMPSON, OF BYRON, KENT COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 347,842; dated August24, 1886.

Serial No. 200,085. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing in the township of Byron, in the county of Kent and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inThillCouplings for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a thill-coupliug in which the bearings of thethill-irons rest in open slots, so constructed that the carriage thillsor shafts may be readily attached and detached, and yet securely lockedin position, so that they cannot be removed or thrown out in case ofaccident, the object being to securely hold the shaft in the couplingposition by means of the slotted opening and a spring of suitable form,which spring serves the double purpose of preventing rattling and oflocking the journals of the thill-irons in position, this inventionbeing an improvement upon the invention patented to me by Letters Patentbearing date the 13th of April, 1886, and nun1- bered 339,713. TheseobjectsIaccomplish by means of the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 2 is a perspective view of thespring which holds the thill-coupling in position. Fig. l is a sideelevation of the buggy-clip, with the spring attached thereto, showingthe position of the thill-iron and spring when the thills are attachedto the buggy or vehicle.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in both views.

0 K represents the buggy-clip attached to the axle.

A represents the spring, the lower end of which is held between theconvex follower O and a concave connecting-bar M.

The clip is provided with bolts having screwthreads H H and nuts N N.The follower O slips upon the bolts and rests against shoulders, so thatby tightening the nuts N N the spring A is clasped securely between thefollower 0 and the connecting-bar M.

The spring A is provided with a slot, P, through which the bolts H Hpass. The

spring passes backward, upward, and over the clip, and then downward infront, as shown in Fig. 2.

G G are angles in the spring, and D D are those portions of the springwhich are bent up so as to fit over the journals F F of the thill-11-011.

0 G are cars of the clip,which are constructed in the ordinary manner,excepting the journal-box, which is slightly enlarged, so as to allowthe angles G G ofthe spring to fit in back of the journals F F, therebysecurely locking thejournals into the journalboxcs L L. To the front ofthe spring I attach the hooked piece E, which I use for convenience inlifting the spring from thejournals. This piece, however, may bedispensed with without affecting my invention.

B represents the thill-iron, constructed T- shaped and provided with thejournals F F, already described.

In using my invention the operator places his finger in the hook E,raises the spring so that the parts D and G are lifted from the journal-box, when the journals can readily be lifted out of thejournal-box. Whenever a stronger pressure is required upon the journals,the nuts N N are loosened slightly and the spring A adjusted by movingit or turning it so that the bent portions D D will press more heavilyupon the journals, when the nuts are tightened, securing it inthatposition By this construction I am able to adjust the spring so asto give any desired pressure upon the journals of the thill-iron,thereby preventing any rattling of the thills.

It will be seen that the angle G forms an elbow, which, when inposition, as shown in Fig. 1, forms a key or look for the journals F F,so that the journals cannot be removed from the clip until the springshall have been lifted entirely out of the journal-box; that when thespring is lifted entirely out of the journal-box the journals can bepushed back slightly, when they will readily pass through the slotsprovided for that purpose in the ears 0 0.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to haveinvented, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a thill-coupling device, a spring of sheet metal provided with aslot at its lowerv side, a clasp composed of a concave connectingbar anda convex follower, a clip encircling the axle of the vehicle, providedwith slotted eais for the reception of the journal of in combinationwith the thill-iron, snbstnnthe thill-ii on, and a lhill-iron providedwith tia-lly as described. [5 journals adapted to fit into thejournal-boxes 3. The following parts in combination: the in said ears,said spring adapted to hold the buggy-clip O K, the follower 0,connecting- 5 journals of the thilliron in position and to be bar M,adjusting-nuts N N, the spring A, held adjusted so as to produce greateror less pressin position between 0 and M, provided with ure,substantially as described. the locking angle or elbow GG and the bent2o 2. In a thill-couplingdevice, a spring proportionsD D, and thethill-iron journals F F, vided with an angle or shoulder adapted to fitall constructed substantially as described.

to behind the journal of the thill-iron, and an DAVID THOMPSON.

upward-curved portion adapted to press upon Witnesses: and hold thethilliron in position, in combi- ARTHUR G. DENIsoN.

nation with the clip having slotted ears, and GEORGE CLAPPERTON.

